Old Testament: Lev 26.43–44

To read the Bible in a year, read Leviticus 26–27 on February 18, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

Israel disregarded the Lord’s commandment about the land Sabbath, ignoring it for 490 years, meaning that they missed 70 of the land Sabbaths, wherein they were to leave their fields alone for one year every seven years. 

That means that, going clear back to the time when Samuel was a judge and during the reigns of David, Solomon, and the other good kings of Judah, Israel ignored the land Sabbath! 

Since they missed 70 land Sabbaths, the Lord determined that was how long the Babylonian captivity would last, so that the land could enjoy its Sabbaths that it had missed all those centuries (Second Chronicles 36.21). 

Although that was true, and although the Lord eventually punished them for ignoring him, he still thought of them: 

“The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.”

– Leviticus 26.43–44 

We may feel comfortable ignoring teachings and commands of the Lord because previous generations have ignored them, but sooner or later, a generation will have to pay for the neglect. 

However, the punishment will not mean that God’s hates those people but still has them in his heart, although they do not have him totally in their hearts. 

What an amazing God we serve! 

Questions: 

• Is the church ignoring any teachings or commandments of the Lord? 
• Are you ignoring any teachings or commandments of the Lord? 

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